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Map of Tsavo East and West

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Map of Tsavo East and West: The Bush-Camping Trail

Tsavo East and West together cover more than 22,000 square kilometres, Kenya’s largest protected block, split by the Nairobi to Mombasa highway. Our bush-camping trail moves through both halves rather than picking one, and this map shows why that takes real planning: the two parks feel genuinely different, and the distances between camps are not small.

Interactive map of Tsavo East and West

Dark green shapes are the two Tsavo parks, with the Chyulu Hills forming the smaller green wedge to the northwest. Blue pins mark the airstrips scattered across both parks. Switch on roads to see the highway and gate access.

The interactive map could not load on this connection.

You can still use the guide and tables below, or open the area on Google Maps.

Tsavo East vs. Tsavo West: what the trail actually covers

Tsavo East is the larger, flatter half — open plains, the Galana River, and elephants stained red from the local dust that gives the park its signature look. Tsavo West is hillier and denser, with Mzima Springs’ hippo-and-crocodile pools, volcanic outcrops, and a black rhino sanctuary. A bush-camping trail through both means genuinely different scenery and wildlife focus on the same trip, not the same park twice.

ParkTerrainSignature wildlife
Tsavo EastOpen plains, red dust, Galana RiverRed-dust elephant, lion
Tsavo WestHills, volcanic outcrops, Mzima SpringsBlack rhino, hippo, crocodile

Gateways and airstrips

Voi and Mtito Andei are the two main road gateways, both sitting directly on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway, which is what makes Tsavo an easy pairing with a coastal finish. Camps move between a cluster of airstrips across both parks depending on the leg of the trail you’re on.

GatewayServes
VoiTsavo East, southern access from the highway
Mtito AndeiTsavo West, central highway crossing point
Kilaguni / Ngulia airstripsTsavo West camps
Satao / Voi Park airstripsTsavo East camps

Tsavo is 232 to 325 km from Nairobi depending on which gate you enter through, a 4 to 8 hour drive, or roughly an hour by air. Because it sits on the Mombasa road, it’s a natural link between our inland circuits and a beach finish — see how it connects on the Map of Kenya.

Tsavo camping questions

What’s the difference between Tsavo East and Tsavo West?

Tsavo East is flatter and more open, known for red-dust elephants and the Galana River. Tsavo West is hillier with volcanic outcrops, Mzima Springs, and a black rhino sanctuary. Our bush-camping trail moves through both.

How does the bush-camping trail move between the two parks?

Camps shift along the trail via Voi and Mtito Andei, the two gateway towns on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway, with airstrip options on each side if you’re flying a leg instead of driving.

When is the best time to camp in Tsavo?

June to October is driest and best for game viewing in Tsavo East; June to August specifically for Tsavo West’s rhino sanctuary and Mzima Springs.

Can I combine Tsavo with the coast?

Yes — Tsavo sits directly on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway, so it pairs naturally with a beach finish at Diani or Watamu after the camping leg.

Ready for the Tsavo bush-camping trail?

Tell us your dates and how many nights, and we’ll route your trail through both parks the way that fits.

Plan Your Tsavo Safari

Park and reserve boundaries © OpenStreetMap contributors, licensed under ODbL. Basemap © OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Satellite imagery © Esri. Terrain tiles by Mapzen and AWS Open Data. Boundaries for Chyulu Hills National Park from UNEP-WCMC and IUCN (2026), Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), Cambridge, UK. Available at protectedplanet.net.